There is a sparkle in Aunty Aileen’s eyes when she talks about her furkids, the fifty-something dogs housed in My Pets Haven. She speaks of caring for them with such exuberance, and the passion she has for educating volunteers and adopters on caring for these dogs is immediately noticeable. Similarly, as she talks about successful adoption stories and how some of these dogs are now living in far-flung places such as Poland and Amsterdam, she has to take a moment to compose herself, lump in throat and eyes misting up. Aileen Lee, more affectionately known to the public as Aunty Aileen, is not inclined to refer to My Pets Haven as a pet shelter. “If I call it a shelter, people will dump their dogs here,” she says. No—My Pets Haven is an adoption centre, and a well-oiled one.
Housing more than 50 dogs in individual kennels, each waiting for their forever home, Lee has a strict routine that she has stuck to ever since she started this place. “My day starts at three in the morning. By five, I’m cleaning the place, washing up the dog bowls, and preparing for my volunteers to come. Then, I’ll walk the dogs,” she explained. She casually mentions that she walks every dog individually. “In one day, I can walk up to 40 thousand steps!” she beams. The energetic 68-year-old’s love for these furkids is evident. My Pets Haven isn’t just a middle person connecting owners to their future pets—it’s where Lee endeavours to give them the best life possible. She generally runs the place on her own with help from volunteers. While these volunteers will help with the general maintenance of My Pets Haven, Lee’s aim is to spread awareness and education on caring for dogs. “I want to educate them about caring for dogs, their health, and neutering them,” she stresses. Too many people, she says, still don’t know the importance of neutering their dogs. “They haven’t seen what I’ve seen when it’s mating season with stray dogs,” she shakes her head. She describes having seen female dogs with canine transmissible venereal tumour (TVT), a sexually transmitted tumour that affects their genitals. It’s horrifying and painful, usually resulting in death.
On the topic of death, Lee doesn’t shy away from it. The more she sees it, the more she’s determined to shout about it, ensuring that more people are aware, thus stopping it. Despite not calling My Pets Haven a shelter, she still has space in her heart to rescue dogs in need. She shares the story of one particularly heartbreaking incident, where a stray dog was splashed with boiling water in the face. “We called it the Dog With No Face,” she said as she showed me pictures on her phone. The dog, it seemed, continued scratching at the burn wound on its face, eventually wearing it away. “We had to put it down for its mercy. Everyone in the vet’s room, the doctors, the nurses, and the rescuers, were crying,” she remembered sadly.
Thankfully, not all stories are heartbreaking. Some adopted dogs would go on to have happy lives with their new owners, some even leaving the country. Lee keeps in touch with the new owners, who often send updates and cute pictures of their dogs. She proudly shows off pictures of two dogs from My Pets Haven who are now in Amsterdam. One of them is paraplegic, yet both are living their best lives running around the snowy landscapes of Amsterdam. She continues staying in touch despite her busy schedule, because deep down she’s still their mama and she cares for their well-being.
At 68 years old, Lee has started looking for a successor to My Pets Haven. For now, the adoption centre still requires plenty of funding to get by. If you would like to help them out, contact My Pets Haven to make a donation. www.mypetshaven.org
Photography: Edmund Lee
Creative Direction & Styling: Joseph Cheng
Hair: Zac Lee
Makeup: Eranthe Loo
Art Direction: Shane Rohaizad
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